Candle-forming machine



E. A. HOUCHIN CANDLE FORMING MACHINE May 8, 1923'.

' Fi led'Sept. 27,1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 8, 1923.

- E. A. HOUCHIN CANDLE FORMING MACHINE Filed Sent. 27. 1920 a I 1 y M w w W g Patented May 8, 1923.

1 wire '5 r res UEIRNEST'IA} HOUCI-IIN, or'nE-w yoitielng Y.

CANDLE-FOR ING MACHINE; p

Application filed September 27,1920. serial no; 413,12

The main object is to provide a machine for molding tapered candles and particularly those having a projecting tip portion. I haveparticularly'soughtto construct a ma chine in whichlthe candles may be formed rapidly and. accurately and at a minimum cost. a

In the form shownhereiny-the candle is molded upside. down or inverted, the base being smaller indiameter than the rim of the candle. Aplurality of tapered molds are mounted ina:;hollowframe into which the melted wax is poured. "The bottom of 7 each mold which is-shaped to form the desired design of tip ofithecandle is :formed by a springpressed plunger which also carries a wire or rod for forming the wick passage; The moldsand plungers. are adapted to .be separated 'from each other so that/the I v The upward inoigeinent of-the' rod .15 f is limited by a cotter pin21 when the mold" candles may be ejected downwardly;

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a machine embodying the improvements of my invention parts. being broken away so as'to show some ofpthe plungers and part of the channels for circulating the heating or cooling medium. Fig- 2 is a side view of the same, part being broken away and showing two of the molds in side elevation'and one insection. Fig. 3is a vertical cross sectional view of the molding frame with. one mold in place.

Fig. 4 is. a vertical projection of the right hand end of the machine showing partof the mechanism for lifting and lowering the mold frame, partof the casing being broken away. to show. the gears inside. ..Fig. 5 is a vertical projection .ofthe op? positeendof the machine with part ofthe end of'thesmachine broken-away "to show the partslinside.

Fig. 61s .a. vertical sectionalview showing Iiiold units;

a;pert... the mold frame and one ofthe plunger enters the tapered lower end ofthe correspondingmold and thus each.

Figs?- is a niele vation of part of the m eh? anism frame.

-FigQ8isa perspective'view of one of the 1551.

candles formed in this. machine.

" As shownin F 8,- the candle 10 t'ormedi on this machine is sn'iallerin diameter atthe bottomthan itis attherim and the upper end maybe formec'twith grooves or tapered, as desired. It should he understoodthat,

the wick. is f inserted a fter the cai'idl el-is I formed.

Each candle is formed iii a tapered mold 11 which is smaller at the top fthan'at thG'oE bottom and screw'edinto the upper "and lower walls of the" hollow mold tram e912. 'f I A The bottom ofeachinoldflis formed bya plunger v13 which carries the wick forming COXGlLL" Each plunger is mounted on the upper-end of a rod 15. The upper endfoftherod ex v I tendsinto a socket'16in thebottom 'of'the' plunger and the two parts: are secured to gather bya. pin 17. Eachi rodis guidedgin .75 I plates 1'8 andl9. .A'spring 2O surrounding rod 15 presses against plate 18 andftlie lower end of the socket lfi on the plunger: 50" f l as to push the rodanfd plunger upward frame is i disengaged from ithen plungels.

Each mold 11- is provided with a shoulder 22 i it. will be seen that when the moldrfra-megand l p )lun ers are en 'agedwith each othelz each t! V 1 plungeris guided accurately to its seat. in its .mold tube eveirthough the molds or the plunge-rs are not accurately located: :with respect to each other. It is possible therefore withsuch' a const-iaictiontoget accurate re- 7 sults without the yery accurate location o t- 95 the relative" parts which would besveil 'y egg- 7' 1 pensive. This constructio'n "also: insures. ac"- curate results Sevens:though" the individual parts. mayv become somewhat relatively" displaced with respect to each other.

.Coolin'g. water orra' heating medi may be introduced-to the-mold frame we ge-ad R for liftingand lowering rthe'mold p sof;

I then circulate between the molds and return the corner pieces 29. Depending from each end of the mold frame are racks and 31 -which mesh respectively-with the gears 32 and 33. On the right hand end of the machine as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 is mounted a handle .33 to which is secured a gear 34 which meshes with the gear 35. The latter is secured to a gear 36 which meshes with one of the gears 32 so that when the handle 83' is rotated it rotates gears 3232. The gears 35 and 36 are mounted on a shaft 37 which extends from the right hand end of the machine to the left hand end where it has a gear 38 meshing with one of the gears 33 so that the gears 32 and 33 rotate together to raise and lower the opposite ends of the mold frame simultaneously. It should be understood that the machine would function in the same manner if the plungers l3 and plates 18l9 constituted the movable 7 member instead of the mold frame as shown.

A suitable brake as shown forexample in Figure 7 may be employed to prevent the movable member, in this case the mold frame, from falling too rapidly when it is being lowered. On one of the shafts, for example, the shaft carrying the handle, is mounted a brake drum '40, and a brake band 41 encircles the latter. The ends ofv the band are secured to a lever 41" pivoted at 42 to a stationary part of the frame. The lever 41 has an extension arm. 43 movable therewith. Pivoted to the arm 43 as at 44 is a link 45 having a tail or extension 46. The shaft 47 is mounted in the frame and carries thereon a bell crank lever having arms 48-49. The link 45 is pivoted as at 50 to one arm of the bell crank lever. A rod 51 having a spring 52 for urging it in one direction is secured to a part, for example, the pivot 44. On the shaft 37 is mounted a ratchet 53, and a cooperating pawl 54 is pivoted to the frame as at 55. The pawl 54 and lever'45 are so positioned that the tail 46 when inone position engages the pawl and disengages the latter from the ratchet. With the parts shown in Fig. 7 in the full line positions, the brake band is disengaged from the drum and the "arm 49 of the bell crank lever is moved toward the left as viewed in Fig. 7 to the dotted line posit-ion. The tail 46 will then contact with the pawl and disengage the latter from the ratchet. A spring 52 will expand and draw the arm 43 downwardly to cause the brake band to grip the drum and prevent the movable member, in the example shown, the mold frame, from falling too rapidly. The tension of the spring-52, and

consequently, the tension of the brake band,

may be varied by means of the wing nut on v the lower end of the rod 51'.

The candles are molded when the parts are in the position shown in Figs; 5 and 6 by simply pouring the melted wax or other com position into the top of the mold frame, the wax running into the tubes 11 about the cores l4 and solidifying. This solidification may be hastened by introducing cooling water into the mold frame as above mentioned. When the wax has hardened the mold frame is raised by rotating the handle 33 so as to strip the mold frame and the candles carried thereby from the plungers and the wick cores into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A platen 40 is then inserted beneath the candles and supported on flanges such as 41. This platen may be provided with a suitable yielding upper face so as to I prevent marring the tips of the candles when they are ejected from the molds. This platen may also be divided into sections or provided with pockets or recesses by intersecting partitions or wires, if desired. After the platen has been inserted the part 42' of the waxto which the candle portions 10 are secured may be out off or stripped by means of suitableknives operated along the upper surface of the mold frame 12. When this part42 has been removed the candles if they do not fall out automatically may be ejected downwardly from the molds 11 by simply pressing on the bases of the candles which are uppermost.

I claim:

1. A candle molding machine comprising, plurality of plungers each designed to mold the tip of a candle, a vertically movable frame. downwardly diverging molds carried thereby above said plungers and a platen.

adapted to be inserted between the plungers and the molds to receive the molded candles from said downwardly diverging molds.

2. A candle molding machine comprising-,-

a plurality of plungers each designed to mold the tip of a candle, wick cores carried by said plungers, a frame, downwardly divergingmolds carried thereby above said plungers, means for separating said molds and plungers and a platen adapted to be in- .serted between the plungers and the molds.

to each other to either separate or cause said members to engage each other.

l. A candlemolding machine comprising, a plurality of resiliently mountedplungers each designed to mold. the tip of a candle, a

vertically movable frame, tapered molds carried thereby above said plungers and means for raising said molds above s'a1d plungers.

5. In a candle molding machine, a mold frame, tapered downwardly diverging molds carried by said frame, a plunger designed to mold one end of a candle'cooperating with each of said downwardly diverging tapered molds, and means for moving said tapered molds and cooperating plungers relatively to each other to cause the plungers to be disengaged from and separated from the-n molds I, 6. In a candle molding machine, a-plurality of plungers, a hollow mold frame, tapered molds screwed into "the bottom and top of said frame and means for lifting said mold frame and molds clear of said p'lungers.

7. In a candle'molding machine, a-plurality of plungers with cores carried. by said plungers, a hollow mold frame, tapered molds screwed into the bottom and top of.

said frame and means for lifting said mold frame and molds clear of said plungers.

8. In a candle molding machine, a plurality of resiliently supported plungers, a mold frame, tapered molds carried thereby above said plungers, and "means for moving said molds and plungers into and out of contact with each other, said molds being free of' obstructions when. the molds and plungers are moved out of contact. I

9. In a candle molding machine, a vertically movable frame, plungers below said frame, resilient means for moving saidlun ers into en a ement with said frame p b E: 7

racks depending from said frame, gears meshing with said racks, a handle and gear ing between said handle and gears for raising and lowering said frame. i

10. In a candle forming machine, a tapered -mold member havin an interior shoulder a spring pressed plunger member mounted belowsaid mold member and means for raising and lowering one member relative to the other whereby the plunger member may be separated from the i and the latter left; free 0f0bstruction..,-.;

ifs

11'. Inaca'ndle formingmachine, atapered H mold memberhavingian interior shoulder. Y

a plunger member mmnta j enw said for. co-operation therewith," a", spring for moving" said mold and plunger members in to engagement with each other,ea wick core carried by said plunger and means for'moving one of said members relatively to-the other.

12. In a candle forming machine, a tapered I i Imold having an interior shoulder,-a spring pressedplunger mounted below said mold and adapted tobe moved-into contact with saidshoulder and means for supporting a,

platen between the mold and the plunger when the latter are separated.

13. Ina candle forming machine, a mold,

a plunger below said moldbaving a depend-- ing socket, a rod connect'edin said socket,

a spring surrounding said rod and a stationary. abutment for said spring,

14. In a candle formingmachine, a taperedmold, a plunger below said mold, means in eluding a spring for moving one ofsa dfl members relatively tolthe'other'topermit,

themv to be engaged with each other and to center the plunger and resiliently holdsaid mold and plunger in engagement.

15. In a candle formmgfmachme, a'tapered mold, a plunger below said mold, a wick core' carried by one of said 'member'sQmeans for movinga m dand said bluhger into engagement with each other" and resiliently holding them in engagement and centering the plunger.

I 16. In a candle pered mold,a spring pressed plungerbelow said mold,- means for moving said mold and forming machine, a taQI I I plunger into' contact with each other, and" centering theplunger and a support for a platen betweenthe moldand the plunger.

17. Ina candle forming machine, a tapered mold, a spring pressed plunger below said mold, a wick core earned by said plunger, rmeans for moving said mold and plunger relativelyto each otherand center- 1* ing the plunger. anda'support for a platen I I 18. In 'a' candle formingmachine, a, l Ql-Cl between the mold andthe plunger;

member, a plunger member mounted for 00-' operatlon wlthsaid mold, one of sa d membersbeingmovablerrelatively to the other,

resilient means'for holding said mold and plunger members in'contact with each other, a wick core carried by" said plunger andv means for holding said movable member in:

one position. 1 I i y I 19. In a candle formln'g machine, a mold member,a plunger member mounted for-co operation .withflsaid mold, resilient:means for holding said mold and plunger nembers in contact with each other, means formoving I one of said members relatively. to the other and a brake for retarding the movement of member in one position, a brake for retardsaid movable member. ing the movement of said movable member 20. In a candle forming machine, a mold and means operable upon the application member, a'plunger member mounted for coof said brake for releasing said pawl and operation With said mold, means for moving ratchet.

one of said members relatively to the other,

a pawl and ratchet for'holding said movable ERNEST A. HOUCHIN. 

